


The Odd Tanaka Out

by CherryEmbly



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: But It Has It's Moments, Dense Tanaka, Ennoshita is Cute, Everyone Is Gay, Everyone is fine, Explicit is Stretching, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Gay Sex, It Gets Oddly Tense Eventually, It just happened, Light Masochism, M/M, Non-Graphic Violence, Smut, Tanaka is Oblivious, couples, i didn't mean to, poor tanaka
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-26
Updated: 2016-06-03
Packaged: 2018-07-10 10:00:54
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 15,353
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6978790
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CherryEmbly/pseuds/CherryEmbly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tanaka overhears a few of his female classmates giggling at a rumor about the Karasuno Volleyball Team; he's the only single one (or so they say). Distraught that he knows his teammates so little, he sets out to discover the truth.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Rumor

**Author's Note:**

> Found myself writing another mini Haikyuu as I re-watch Season 2. This one is short, but we're looking at six chapters, maybe more? 
> 
> P.S. It's a normal, not like the odd, poetic, one I did for Kenma x Kuroo.

Tanaka walked down the hallway lazily. With Spring Nationals on the horizon, Coach Ukai has upped practices to three hours in the mornings and an indefinite amount of time after school. He let out a loud yawn as he prepared to turn the corner when his ear, known for hearing anything involving him within a 10 mile radius, plucked his name from a nearby conversation. 

“What about Tanaka? If he's on the same team, the same must be true right?” One girl said. 

“Yeah, but I never see him with anyone like the others.” Another commented. 

“You guys shouldn't even be talking about this, you don't even know if the rumor is true or not.” The third of their group nearly whispered. 

Unable to take the suspense anymore, Tanaka donned his most intimidating face and slunk around the corner. “What rumor?” He growled. 

The three girls jumped before turning to face him, faces red with embarrassment. 

“Uh… U-um…” One of the girls stammered. 

“Oh!” One of the others began, uncharacteristically loud. “There's a rumor that you're the only single player on the Volleyball team. Ahehehehe.” She rubbed her head nervously and the other girls eyed her in awe. 

“Huh?” _Single? Like…_ “I’m the only one without a girlfriend!?”

The girls broke out into callous giggling. 

“What!?” 

“S-sorry Tanaka we gotta go!” They turned heel and began away. 

“Oi! Get back here!” But the girls had scurried quickly and haphazardly from sight. 

_What do they mean I'm the only single one? Could it be possible that all of my teammates have girlfriends and I didn't notice? Is that possible?_

Tanaka was paying very little attention as he turned the corner into his classroom and nearly fell sitting down at a desk. His fellow teammate Ennoshita passed by him, lightly tapped him on the head. 

"Hey, what was that for?" He barked. 

"You looked super dazed. Pay attention so you don't nearly fail again." Ennoshita ordered, making his way to his own desk. Tanaka huffed at the reprimand. _I know..._

...but based on how little he paid attention, he was far from heeding Ennoshita's warning. He was so consumed with solving the mystery behind the rumor, he'd even gone so far as to etch himself out a diagram.

_Daichi, Asahi and Sugawara I can kind of see it. They're third years, plus they're very kind and obviously athletic._

He added their names to a blank piece of paper, drew a bubble around them and wrote the qualities underneath it

The summits of his cheeks tinted. _Plus, I see them with girls all the time, I guess women find them handsome._

Apprehensively, he added ‘handsome’ to the qualities under the third-years’ names.

_Kinoshita and Narita are second-years and about as interesting as grass; no way they have girlfriends. Ennoshita is nice enough and he's smart; he helped Noya and I pass after all. He’s sub-captain too._

He glanced up from his paper at his fellow second-year teammate.

_I wouldn't call him handsome though. Not unattractive… Cute?_

His blush came back as he wrote ‘smart’ ‘kind’ ‘athletic’ and ‘semi-handsome’ under a bubble with just his name in it. He scratched a huge ‘X’ through the bubble he’d added Kinoshita and Narita’s names to. 

_There’s Noya and me to round of the second-years._

He added their names to a bubble, scratching a line through his own name. 

_This is ridiculous. I spend a good amount of time with Noya, but he's almost always with Asahi. No way either of them has girlfriends with how often they're together._

Realizing it he drew a long line from Asahi’s name to Nishinoya’s and scratched them both out.

_Let's see, for first years… I don't think I've actually ever seen Tsukishima and Yamaguchi apart._

He wrote their names in a bubble. 

_Plus they're both arrogant, smug, assholes; what girls would like them?_

He got a bit out of control aggressively writing all their worst qualities under their names before angrily scratching both their names out. 

_Hmmm. That leaves Kageyama and Hinata._

He’d nearly run out of room after writing all of Tsukishima and Yamaguchi’s insults and had to squeeze their names into a small bubble in the corner. 

_I hate to admit it but Kageyama is brooding. It's probably a cool trait for getting girls._

He squeezed ‘brooding’ and ‘cool’ near his name. 

_Hinata is cute, but like a baby. Do girls like that? Plus he's very passionate._

He wrote super tiny so he could fit the descriptors then he put his pencil down and started going over his information. 

S _tupid girls, by my count, Suga and Daichi are the only ones that I could even see having girlfriends. Ennoshita and I have all the same classes so we’re together nearly all day; if he had a girlfriend, I’d know it.MAYBE Kageyama and Hinata but they're always in the gym… Come to think of it, none of us slacks off. If anyone here actually had a girlfriend wouldn't I know it just based on how often we’re all together?_

Tanaka had no awareness of the fact that class had ended or that a presence was looming over him. 

“Huh, so it's you and Ennoshita after all?” A non-volleyball friend of his asked. 

“What?” Tanaka looked up at him, but when he saw his friend looking down at his paper he began to flail about idiotically trying to cover it. “DIDN'T ANYONE TEACH YOU NOT TO READ OVER SOMEONE’S SHOULDER!?” 

“What about Ennoshita?” Ennoshita broke off from a nearby group and made his way towards Tanaka and his friend. 

Tanaka slammed his notebook shut and quickly slid it into his bag. “Uh… N-n-nothing! I… Uh… Have to go to the bathroom!” He stood up and charged awkwardly from the classroom. 

_Man, that was close. I've narrowed it down some, but I'm going to need to do some research of my own if I want to know for sure..._


	2. The Impatient Couple

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tanaka starts to follow the first trail of breadcrumbs to a revelation about a pair of particularly impatient freshmen...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second favorite ship on the show tbh...

_Seriously, what is that guy’s problem, reading other people's stuff? Ennoshita almost saw that I called him semi-handsome and I only think he's cute._

Tanaka shook his head as he cleared the building, bursting through the door, scaring several students perched just outside. 

_No, I don't think he's cute. That's what I think girls would think._

He turned the corner towards the vending machine near the gym and saw Kageyama wildcard selecting either milk or juice to drink. 

_This is stupid, all this wondering. If I want to know, I'll just ask. They're my teammates._

“Hey, Kageyama!” He waved. _Besides if he did have a girlfriend, wouldn't she be with him during break?_

“Hey, Tanaka. You do remember that we still have two classes before practice right?” Kageyama asked in a condescending tone that was also somehow innocent; like he was legitimately worried Tanaka was that stupid. 

Tanaka’s nose flared with agitation. “Of course I remember you--” but Tanaka noticed something that stole his attention. _Two drinks!_ “Uh, who's the second one for?” 

Kageyama scrunched his nose into his signature scowl but also, very clearly, blushed. “Mind your own business.”

He stormed around Tanaka and back towards the school. Tanaka’s jaw dropped. _Two drinks and he blushed!? He does have a girlfriend! I've got to see her! What sadistic chick would date someone like Kageyama?_

Making sure to keep a safe distance, Tanaka followed Kageyama back into the building, into the first-year wing and to a classroom. He crouched behind the door and peeked his head inside. He watched as Kageyama approached someone laying with their head face down on the table and their sweatshirt hood pulled over. 

_Damn it, I can't see what she looks like. She seems tiny._

“Hey, wake up.” Kageyama nudged the person's head with the spare drink. “I brought you some juice.” 

The body made a familiar groan and lifted its head. 

_HUH!?!?_

“Thank you, Kageyama.” _Hinata!? What are you doing in Kageyama’s girlfriend's seat!?_

“Tanaka?” 

Tanaka jumped around, fists up to fight. “YOU WANT SOME? I CAN BE WHEREVER I WANT!” He looked up when he realized he was yelling at a pair of chests. “Oh, Tsukishima, Yamaguchi. Don't sneak up on me like that.” 

“Sneak up on you? We're two first-years walking through the first-year wing. You're a second-year crouching creepily outside a first-year classroom.” Yamaguchi explained. 

“Uhhhhhhhh… I'm here on Daichi’s orders to make sure you four are keeping up with your studies! Can't have anymore close calls like last time.” 

“Last time, Yamaguchi and I were fine. You, on the other hand, barely passed.” Tsukishima insulted.

_I forgot how much I hate these two._

“Just, uh, be on your best behavior!” With that Tanaka tried to maintain normal posture as he walked away, but heard one girl ask her friend why he was walking like a robot. 

He returned to his task at hand as he began climbing the stairs. 

_That was strange. Kageyama definitely blushed when I asked him about the drink and wouldn't tell me who it was for but then he just gave it to Hinata. Maybe he was planning to give it to a girl and then chickened out… Oh but then that probably wouldn't be his girlfriend… Plus I followed him all the way from the vending machine and he never stopped…_

As Tanaka thought through it he heard his name. 

“Oi! Tanaka wait up!” Tanaka looked around and saw Nishinoya walking towards him with Asahi at his side. 

_See even during breaks they both leave their wings to hang out. No girlfriend in her right mind would allow such a thing._ “Hey Noya! Asahi!” 

Asahi smacked Noya lightly on the back of the head as he passed him headed for the next flight of stairs up. “See you, guys.” 

_Kageyama was no help but I can I certainly ask Nishinoya about his relationship status._ “Hey, Noya?” 

“Hm?” He was sipping a drink through a straw; loud slurps suggested it was nearly empty.

“Do you have a girlfriend?” Tanaka asked, half lost in thought. Nishinoya gagged once and then started coughing. “Uh, are you okay?” 

“F-fine; wrong tube.” He cleared his throat a bit, tossing his juice in the garbage as they walked into class. “What?” 

“Have you heard any rumors about our team?” Tanaka inquired as they sat in side by side desks near the back of the classroom. 

“Rumors?” Nishinoya looked utterly confused. 

“Yeah like…” Tanaka saw the number of students standing near and leaned in with a hand up for privacy. Nishinoya leaned in to meet him. “...that of all the guys on our team, I'm the only one without a girlfriend?” 

Nishinoya leaned back and averted his gaze. “Um… I've heard something like that.” 

“Well it's not true right? You don't have a girlfriend.” 

“I do not have a girlfriend.” 

“Does Asahi have one?” 

“Nope.” It was confident and definitive. 

“Do you know if any of the other guys do?”

“Suga and Daichi don't.”

“You sure?” 

“Pretty sure.” 

“Huh. They were my top guesses. What about the freshmen? Know anything about them?” 

“I have my suspicions but I couldn't say for sure.”

Tanaka perked up. “Suspicions? What are they?”

“Tanaka, care to join us?” The teacher called back to him. 

“S-sorry Sensei.” The class giggled at his reprimanding. 

_I wonder what Noya thinks about the freshmen. What's he basing off of? An idea brought terror to Tanaka’s thoughts. Is it something I should be able to see but can't? Is it because I'm too dumb? Is it because I'm too self-centered?_

The rest of the day passed without many answers. Tanaka had paid so little attention during his last that the teacher demanded he stay behind for a recap and he was late getting to the club room to change. As he was approaching be could hear a couple voices from inside. When he recognized Kageyama’s he stopped short of the door. 

_Maybe he'll talk about his girlfriend…_

“Can you see them?” Hinata whined. 

“Um… No.” Kageyama replied. 

“Liar!” 

“Stop complaining!” Kageyama barked. “You weren’t complaining earlier or last night for that matter.” 

“Shut up! This is all your fault! I told you to be careful! They're gonna know what it is!” 

“Just tell them you have a girlfriend.” 

“Huh? That's still embarrassing.” 

The voices started to get closer. 

_Shit, they're coming!_

Quickly Tanaka ran back down the balcony a ways and started to walk back as though he was just arriving. When Hinata saw him his face turned bright red. 

“T-t-t-Tanaka Senpai!!” 

Tanaka tried to look and sound uninterested. “Oh, Hinata, Kageyama are you two late as well? Coach Ukai is gonna wring our necks.”

“Uh, uh, uh we were asking some fellow students for help on our homework because we don't understand it that well, but they didn't have time during lunch to help us so we had to meet up with them after school to get the help that we needed and Kageyama seemed to get it a little better than me because sometimes stuff like that goes right over my head but eventually I understood it too because--” 

Kageyama smacked Hinata across his head. “Oi, that's more than enough. He's late too, so why are you even telling him?”

“S-sorry!” 

Kageyama clicked his teeth. “Let's go. You hurry too Tanaka, if you're too much later than your juniors it'll look bad.” _Smug bastard._ Kageyama pushed a still shaking Hinata past Tanaka and towards the gym. 

_Still, what was that conversation? Is Hinata the one that has a girlfriend…?_

Tanaka walked into the gym and after receiving a thorough tongue-lashing from Ukai for being late and not focusing during class, he took a spot in line for spiking practice.

“Hey, Tanaka.” Ennoshita turned and whispered to him. “When Hinata goes up for a spike, check out his neck.” 

Ennoshita charged forward and spiked a serve from Sugawara. 

“Nice kill!” Everyone shouted. 

“My turn!” Hinata yelled, catching the ball from Yachi and tossing it to Kageyama. 

Kageyama set the ball and he hopped high into the sky to smack it back down. As he did so, his shirt billowed around his neck and Tanaka noticed what Ennoshita was referring to. 

Tiny, dark, bruises dotted his skin. 

_Huh!? Hickies!? He does have a girlfriend!!_

“Tanaka!” Someone called out half a second too late. 

A volleyball collided hard with his face, sending him crashing to the ground. 

“Coach, you did that on purpose…” Daichi groaned. 

“Did not, but I guess if you show up to my practices late and then daydream during drills, you run the risk of a ball to the face.” 

Several faces peered down at him. 

_In the club room, Hinata was worried about everyone seeing something, he said everyone would know what it was…_

“Tanaka! Are you okay!?” Sugawara asked with concern. 

_He said it was Kageyama’s fault and Kageyama said he wasn't complaining earlier or last night…_

“Tanaka?” Nishinoya nudged him lightly. 

_Hinata was so tired that he missed morning practice, but even with the extra sleep he still seemed pretty tired in class when Kageyama brought him juice…_

“Oh stop being over-dramatic, I didn't even throw it that hard.” Ukai’s face appeared among those over Tanaka. 

_Kageyama isn't nice to anyone, so I assumed he had to be buying a drink for whomever he was being romantic with, and he gave it to Hinata…_

“He's got a concussion!!” Asahi panicked. 

_OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!!!!_

Tanaka sat straight up. 

“Ah! Don't do that! You've got a concussion!” Nishinoya warned. 

“He doesn't have a concussion.” Tsukishima murmured plainly from a few feet away. 

“I-I-I'M FINE! I JUST HAVE TO GO TO THE BATHROOM!” 

“Huh!? Do that shit before you come to practice!!!!” Ukai hollered but Tanaka’s realization had him out of the gym and in the bathroom in mere seconds. 

_Kageyama and Hinata!?!? They had… They did… Last night AND before practice!?_

“WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT!?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Hinata, he sucks under pressure.


	3. The Kinky Couple

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tanaka's diligent note-taking about his friends lands him in hot-water when he accidentally leaves it in the club-room... ....then it lands him smack dab in the middle of too much information.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You might have guessed from the title but things are about to get smutty. 
> 
> But not "Stressed Takano is Stressed" smutty (why yes that was a shameless plug (pun intended)). 
> 
> P.S. Tanaka is not homophobic, I realize it gives off that vibe. 
> 
> P.P.S. Sorry the chapter is so short, but the next one will be longer.

“I'm sorry. I trust you Shimizu, but that can't be right.” Coach Ukai looked over Shimizu’s shoulder at her paper. “Yachi?”

“Um, I wasn't keeping score like Shimizu-Senpai but it did seem like they were the worst… Uh! Not that they were bad! Just um… Worse than the others…”

Coach Ukai faced the team again. “Uh, ‘kay. It seems the pair that lost the receives drill was Asahi… And Nishinoya.”

“Huh? Noya lost?” Ennoshita, with whom Tanaka had paired, questioned.

“I know, and it seemed like Hinata was doing a really shitty job.” Tanaka responded.

Nearby Hinata heard and perked up. “I'm just a little tired because I was riding my bike and--”

“Shut up.” Kageyama punched his head lightly.

Tanaka glared at them. _Don't lie to me about bike riding, I know exactly why you were shit today…_

“Well, either way, that means you two are cleaning the gym.”

“Yes sir.” Asahi and Nishinoya replied obediently; neither seemed too upset.

“Alright, that’s gonna do it for tonight then.” Everyone let out a sigh of relief. “Sleep and eat well please, and be on time tomorrow morning. We don't have time for tardiness; every second counts.” Ukai eyed Tanaka, Hinata and Kageyama as he said it.

“Thank you!” Everyone resounded.

Everyone but Asahi and Nishinoya left the gym, went to the club room and changed their clothes. Tanaka kept looking over at Kageyama and Hinata, chatting mindlessly as they changed.

_Honestly… And to do it at school? Have you no shame!?_

As everyone started down the road away from practice, a horrifying realization struck Tanaka.

_MY NOTEBOOK!_

After Tanaka put two and two together about Hinata and Kageyama he added some notes to his diagram.

_I left it open in the club room! If someone sets it, I'll have to switch schools, change my name, and grow my hair out!_

“Excuse me!” Tanaka started nervously. “I'm headed back, I forgot my notebook.”

“Um, okay. Do you want us to wait?” Sugawara asked. He and Daichi, who were normally his companions for the walk home, were staring at him in confusion.

“No, no. You go! I challenge someone to bother with me!” He turned and began walking, despite his urgency, back towards the school.

“Well that was lucky.” Sugawara’s voice said, fading into the distance.

“Yeah, we’ll be able to…” Tanaka couldn't hear Daichi’s full response.

With their voices behind him, Tanaka broke into an all-out sprint.

_I have to get back before Noya and Asahi finish cleaning up._

When he saw the lights were still on he was equal parts relieved and confused.

_I don't know what's taking them so long, but I'm glad they're still going._

Tanaka ran to the club room and pulled at the door handle, feeling a tinge of stupidity when it rattled under his hand, but didn't budge.

_Locked._

He remembered that Daichi had locked the club room behind them and had given the keys to Asahi. Tanaka scoffed at his own nerves as he made his way back towards the gym.

_Why am all nervous? Asking to be let in so I can get my notebook is a normal thing. I mean sure there's a possibility that Nishinoya, who knows me well enough that he will be able to tell that I'm nervous and force his way in before me and take it…_

Tanaka started to sweat.

_Then they could see my drawing and show it to everyone. I could just explain it but…_

Images of the words ‘handsome’, ‘semi-handsome’, ‘cute’ and the newest ‘gays’ crossed his mind.

_Ahhhhh! No, I can't allow them to see it, I'll fight them if I have to. Asahi may be big but he's timid and Noya is scrappy but he's too small to be that much of a threat…_

“N-noya stop, someone will see us here.”

_Huh?_

Tanaka stood just outside the gym doors.

“Why do you think I planned it this way?” Nishinoya chuckled devilishly.

“Damn sadist.” Asahi huffed out.

Sadist… Tanaka searched his brain but he definitely didn't know that word.

He pulled out his phone and opened the internet browser app, typing in his best spelling for the word.

_Did you mean ‘sadist’ Yes -- I hate words._

Tanaka’s eyes widened as he read the definition for the word. Wait, what!?

As if to confirm that he’d read right, he heard Asahi’s voice again. “Ugh, get on with it already!!”

“Are you worried someone will come or are you getting impatient?”

“Shut up.”

“Tell me.” Nishinoya’s voice was harsh and gruff; no humor or innocence in it. If Tanaka didn't know for a fact that it was him, he'd think it was a different person.

Asahi muttered something but Tanaka couldn't make it out due to the suddenly low volume.

“What was that? No one will hear you that way.” Nishinoya hissed.

“N-oya!” The word was stifled by a loud, sharp, moan.

Nishinoya half grunted, half laughed. “You got lucky that I couldn't take it anymore.”

Tanaka trembled slightly beneath the crushing weight of his curiosity.

_I must not look, I must not look, I must not look._

But even as the words crossed his brain he couldn't stop himself from peeking around the gym door. His face brimmed bright red as he caught a quick glimpse of Asahi bent at the waist over the stage, arms barely holding him up, as Nishinoya slowly, but aggressively, fucked him.

_AC0LL#6RGB$5 &(&¥CFRIB$&DHK14!!!!!!_

Tanaka felt like he might malfunction as he ran, top speed, away from the school. He suddenly lacked all concern for his notebook, feeling he now has some leverage even if they did find it.

Thinking so sent the images and sounds of this experience racing through his brain again.

_AHHHH!_ “IS EVERYONE ON THIS VOLLEYBALL TEAM GAY!?!?!?!?!?”

Tanaka either couldn't sleep or wouldn't allow himself to. In the early hours of the morning, when he realized it was fruitless anyway, he climbed out of bed, got dressed and left for practice.

_Would they even go back to the club room after that? How could they focus on a little notebook? Why did I look? Why did I look? Why did I look? Why did I look?_

Tanaka hoped Daichi would be the only one to arrive early so he could unlock the club room and retrieve his notebook without error, giving him a little more time to prepare to face his friends with this vastly life-altering discovery.

Then it dawned on him.

_Asahi has the keys._

He swore at himself under his breath.

_Just relax, he doesn't know I saw him so if I just act normal, everything will be fine..._

...but fate is a cruel mistress. As Tanaka approached the school, he saw Daichi, Sugawara, Nishinoya, Asahi and Coach Ukai walking over in a small clump. Though he didn't have the mental stability to walk alongside them like everything was fine, he knew it would seem weirder if they realized he was just walking behind them.

“H-hey, wait up!” He called out, apprehensively jogging towards them.

“Oh, you're early!” Coach Ukai slapped his back pleasantly.

“Y-yeah.”

“Uh, is everything okay Tanaka? You look terrible.” Asahi asked.

Tanaka glanced at him. _Taken down like that, and by such a small guy._ “Fine.”

“You sure man?” Nishinoya questioned. Tanaka shifted his gaze. _And you, you twisted fuck._ “Yeah. Tired.”

When they got to the club room, Tanaka pushed his way in first as Asahi unlocked the door.

“Tanaka, don't push people around.” Asahi warned.

Tanaka grabbed his notebook and flipped it shut as he tossed a side-eye at the man. _You're one to talk; you didn't have that philosophy yesterday._

“Huh? I thought you came back to get your notebook last night, Tanaka.” Daichi commented, not understanding the magnitude of what he'd just done.

Both Nishinoya and Asahi’s eyes fell upon him, but he avoided them desperately as he slid his notebook into his bag. “Uh yeah, I did, but the door was locked so…”

“You were there when Daichi gave the keys to Asahi, why didn't you just go ask?” Sugawara pressed.

Tanaka stayed looking down at his bag to hide his blush. “Uh, I didn't want to bother them--him.”

The word confusion sold him out. Suddenly Nishinoya burst out laughing. Tanaka slowly turned his head to see Asahi standing motionless with an intensely bright red face.

“I don't get it.” Daichi murmured.

“I don't think we want to.” Sugawara replied.

Tanaka slowly walked between the kinky couple. _That's for damn sure._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't hate me with the dynamics of this pairing. 
> 
> I know there's a size difference issue (I will address it humorously down the line) but I'm sorry Nishinoya is not a bottom. Further, in a relationship between Asahi and Noya, Asahi's nature trumps his size in determining that he just is the bottom. I even it out with their general interactions so don't yell at me. 
> 
> In the far, far, FAR recesses of my mind they switch off, but that still seems out of place for Nishinoya's temperament.


	4. The Rude Couple

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tanaka hates Tsukishima but still finds himself curious about his relationship with Yamaguchi.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm apologizing in advance because things get a little dark and intense in this chapter. Not too crazy, but enough for me to note it. It actually wasn't my intention for anything in this fic to even get close to being this dark, but I was really struggling to write a story that allowed Tanaka, whom I feel would otherwise avoid these two on any personal level, to get a glimpse into their relationship.

Tanaka trudged up the stairs towards the club room after an exhausting morning of Asahi embarrassingly staring at him and bumping into him all practice and Nishinoya falling out laughing every time he did.

“Sadist for sure.” Tanaka muttered under his breath, before running, headfirst into a blunt, tall, annoyance. 

“What’s that shorty? I didn’t see you there.” Tsukishima bent over a dramatic amount to make Tanaka seem shorter than he was. 

“Hey! Have some respect for your upperclassman.” 

Yamaguchi curved his lips into a sly smile. “Sorry. What’s that short-senpai, you were just so far down…” 

They walked around Tanaka laughing at themselves and made their way for the school building. 

_Sugawara says they’ll grow on me eventually, but I don’t see it._

Nishinoya rounded the corner out of the club room, and actually maintained normal behavior, until Asahi walked out behind him and dropped all of his stuff at the sight of Tanaka. 

“Seriously, get it together.” Nishinoya laughed mercilessly. 

“Shut up.” He whacked Nishinoya against the back of the head and shoved him forward. 

Tanaka didn’t have the energy to address them, he just passed by them slowly. _Why is he so uncomfortable around me? I wasn’t even the one doing it._ A thought occurred to him. _It’s because it’s not abnormal._

Chills ran down Tanaka’s spine as he relived it. He didn’t have any particular feelings about two men; but to do something so brazen; he was having trouble accepting it. Worse than that. Carrying on the day with Nishinoya in classes was absolutely agitating. Apart from chuckling incessantly at him all day, he kept adding in snide comments. 

“Wishing you’d left the notebook behind huh?” “You should have just come in, it was kind of the point.” “Don’t let him fool you, he loves it.” 

By the end of the school day, Tanaka was ready to rip his own best friend to shreds, he actually felt bad for Asahi. Does he love it? Could he really? He hardly wanted another practice filled with awkward bumps, endless laughter, and strange looks, so he decided to get in front of it and called out to Asahi when he saw him walking alone to practice. 

“Asahi!” The tall man blushed, turned and then tried to walk faster. Tanaka simply called out again. “Dude, you have to come talk to me. This isn’t going to work. I’m going to kill someone.” 

With a droop of his head, Asahi stopped walking, letting Tanaka know he could catch up. 

“Tanaka, I’m so embarrassed.” Asahi started. 

“That's obvious.” Tanaka replied. 

“Noya’s making it a thousand times worse. Knowing he actually did have an audience made his day.” Asahi rubbed his head disdainfully. 

Despite his desire to ask some more knowledge based questions for clarification, Tanaka settled for trying to calm the gentle giant's mind.

“I was only there for like a second. No, less than a second. I mean as soon as I saw…” ...but the conversation proved too much for Asahi, who tried to run again. Tanaka grabbed his arm. “We have to band together! Us both being so weird is only spurring him on!” Plus, Tanaka was sick to death of the awkwardness. 

“Oh.” Asahi started walking again, deferring to Tanaka to walk alongside him. “No, he’s done laughing at us.” 

“Huh? Why?” 

A shy smile rose to Asahi’s face. “I pulled rank.”

“How?” 

“I may have been powerless in that moment, but the control is mine. I am still bigger after all.” Tanaka scrunched his nose in confusion. “Well… I have to be willing. If I’m not he can’t even get high enough.” 

The comment tugged laughter from both of them. It seemed Asahi had taken the initiative to take care of the problem on his own and Tanaka was glad to put the discomfort behind him… for the most part. He thought about the words ‘I have to be willing’ and shivered. _He really must like it then…_

“A well timed threat scared him straight.” 

_Well timed? ...Oh._

_Why do they all do it here? They have homes don't they?_

_Well I guess their parents are there, and their siblings…_

_Man! I wish I had someone to sneak around school with!_

When they entered the club room together laughing, Nishinoya groaned in disappointment. No one else was in the room so he spoke his frustrations freely. “You could have let me have at least one day of fun.” 

“I would have if you weren’t being a complete ass.” Asahi retorted quickly. Tanaka got the feeling that the dynamics of their normal relationship weren’t quite as severe as their sexual one. Asahi knew how to assert his size and age; Tanaka took respite in that fact. He was actually slightly concerned for this man whose temperament beguiled his size. 

Normalcy generally returned to the three as they walked into the gym where all of the freshmen were already practicing, while Coach Ukai was chatting away with Shimizu. Tanaka glanced around the gym taking note of Tsukishima and Yamaguchi on the far end of the court near the stage. His thoughts of ill emotions towards them must have been permeating off of his body because Asahi nudged him. 

“Stop that. They aren't intimidated by you anyway.” 

“You're easily worked up, that's why they mess with you.” Daichi said from behind them. 

Tanaka turned and saw Daichi, Sugawara and Ennoshita. 

“Suga, Asahi, give me some spikes to block!” Nishinoya jumped up excitedly. 

“Okay!” Sugawara high-fived Daichi and followed Nishinoya and Asahi onto the court. 

Daichi walked over to Ukai and Shimizu, and Ennoshita stayed with Tanaka. “I'm with you Tanaka, I don't like them.” 

“Right? They're just mean.” 

“I've spoken with Yamaguchi before when Tsukishima’s not around, he's much nicer. It's like he pulls the worst out of him.” 

Tanaka could accept that that Yamaguchi was nicer without Tsukishima. He did always instigate things and Yamaguchi was always funnier than he was mean, whereas Tsukishima was just plain nasty. It actually annoyed him a little bit.

“Come on, I'll toss spikes for you.” Ennoshita tapped him on his arm and made his way over. 

_Why would you spend so much time with someone who brings out the bad qualities in you?_

“Tanaka.” Ennoshita’s voice pierced his thoughts. 

Only if you were in love with them I bet. He thought as he made his way to the court. After the last couple days and how often the two were together, it didn't seem so farfetched. He wondered if the feelings were one-sided; _Tsukishima doesn't seem capable of human emotions._

***

“Maaaaaan, that was the roughest practice yet.” Tanaka moaned when they were finally done, and headed down the road from the school.

“Sometimes Coach Ukai grinds us harder when some people don't show up on time.” Tsukishima mocked from behind him. 

Tanaka turned with a look of intimidation on his face. “What have I told you about respecting your elders?” 

“Oh, I didn't realize you were so old…” Tsukishima hissed. 

“Excuse us old man.” Yamaguchi bowed and walked around him. 

“I'm not afraid of you!” Tanaka spat out angrily. Everyone stopped walking, they could hear the seriousness in his tone. “I'll teach you some respect.”

Tsukishima and Yamaguchi, who with their long legs, had already managed to put about twenty feet between them and the rest of the group, stopped. Tsukishima turned and walked back towards Tanaka. 

“Alright you two…” Daichi warned. 

“You may be a year older than me but I think you're an idiot. People who steal precious air from the rest of us piss me off.”

“Tsukishima.” Ennoshita’s voice was low and harsh. “Back off.” 

Tanaka’s blood was boiling. He couldn't think of a single person he disliked as much as Tsukishima; especially if he was poisoning the personalities of those around him. 

“He started it.” Tsukishima growled, still facing off against Tanaka.

“You started it. You always start it.” Tanaka responded, not wavering. 

“Tanaka, be the bigger man and back off.” Nishinoya had made his way to Tanaka’s side. Though he was he was trying to convince him to cave, Tanaka knew if it came to blows, Nishinoya would defend him.   
“I think--” 

“YAMAGUCHI!” Hinata screamed, but it was half a second too late. 

A strange man, in all black swung a large, blunt, object that was hard to make out in the dark, at Yamaguchi’s torso, making hard contact. As Yamaguchi fell to the ground, the assailant snatched Yamaguchi’s gym bag and took off up the road 

Tanaka caught the look on Tsukishima’s face for half a second as he turned. Pure, static, horror. 

“Hinata!!” Kageyama yelled, but Hinata was already fast after the attacker. 

Daichi, Asahi, Kageyama and Nishinoya ran after Hinata knowing he would catch him, Narita and Kinoshita ran into the nearby Bottom Hill Store and Sugawara started calling the police. 

Ennoshita and Tanaka followed after Tsukishima to Yamaguchi's side. 

“Yamaguchi?” Tsukishima’s voice was gentle, and even a bit labored, as he knelt down near the brunet laying lifeless on the ground. 

“Tsukishima! Don't move him! If he has broken bones it could make them worse.” Ennoshita yelled. 

Tsukishima listened and pulled his arms back, but he bent his head low towards Yamaguchi’s. “Yamaguchi say something… Please…” 

Narita and Kinoshita came running back out of the store with Coach Ukai. 

“Yamaguchi!” Coach Ukai crouched down and reached out for him. 

“DON’T! DON’T TOUCH HIM!” Tsukishima was flat out panicked. 

“Tsukishima, I went to medical school.” 

WHAT!? “You--” but Ennoshita grabbed Tanaka’s arm. _He’s right, now’s not the time._ Tanaka reached out and put his hand on Tsukishima's back. Tsukishima sighed deeply and nodded. 

Ukai carefully braced Yamaguchi and slowly flipped his body. Tsukishima tensed under Tanaka’s grip when he saw the large pool of blood that had seeped through both his T-Shirt and jacket. 

“Suga! The police!?” Daichi called out. 

“On the way!” He yelled back. In the intensity of the moment, Tanaka hadn't noticed that Sugawara was actually standing quite close. 

“Hinata caught the guy; Asahi and Nishinoya are bringing him.” He leaned over Yamaguchi, whom Ukai had freed from his shirt and jacket and was slowly and gently feeling around his torso. “How is he?” 

Ukai shook his head. “It's hard to tell this way, but I do think there's maybe internal bleeding…” He was slightly hesitant to say the words with Tsukishima there. 

A few minutes later Asahi and Nishinoya came around the corner with the man, each bracing one of his arms, conscious but not fighting. He was whimpering ‘sorry’ but no one was listening. Just behind them, Kageyama had a look of worry, absent of any ire, as he gently rubbed a spot on Hinata’s cheek. Hinata pushed Kageyama’s hand away a few times but it kept finding its way back. 

Tsukishima looked up and locked eyes on the attacker. “Tanaka…” Ennoshita started but Tanaka saw the look to and had already stepped in to grab Tsukishima. 

His efforts to restrain him were abortive as he used his massive wingspan to cock his shoulders back and easily break free of the hold. Released, he charged the man without hesitation. 

“Hey, Tsukishima!” Daichi called, but his rage was blind and whether he could hear or see anything other than his target was irrelevant; _Tsukishima is going to kill that guy._

“No! No! Please! I'm sorry!” 

In a quick glance to one another, Asahi and Nishinoya pulled tight, securing the target in place; braced for impact.

“Oi! Don't encourage him!!” Daichi shouted over but they weren't listening. _They're sympathetic._

“Someone stop him!” Ukai screamed, though as he said it, Tsukishima grabbed the attacker by the throat and lifted him, with near superhuman strength, ripping him from Nishinoya and Asahi’s hold and slammed him against the wall of Ukai’s store, feet off the ground.

Tanaka couldn't see Tsukishima’s face, but if the terrified looks on Kageyama, Asahi, Nishinoya, Hinata and Daichi’s faces were any indicator; it had to be remarkably bone-chilling.

_They won't even approach him._

“Tsukishima, just stop and think for a second.” Daichi was shuddering as he said it. 

“My coach thinks he has internal bleeding.” Tsukishima finally said, addressing the attacker. The tone of his voice made the hairs on the back of Tanaka’s neck stand on end. It was near an octave lower than normal and it had god-like resolve. “I could care less about my teammates, this sport, going to school, I don't even care about going to jail. So why don't you give me one good reason why I shouldn't snap your neck for hurting him like that?” 

His grip tightened around the man's neck and he started gasping for breath and clawing helplessly at Tsukishima’s staunch arm.

_Holy shit, Tsukishima really means to kill him._

“Tsukishima!” Daichi screamed. 

Tanaka charged forward and grabbed Tsukishima’s wrist. “Oi. You do nothing for Yamaguchi if you're arrested for seriously doing something to this guy. If he goes to the hospital, when he wakes up, he's gonna want you there. Be there for him not… Here for him.” 

“But he…” 

“I know... Which is why if you step away right now. I will beat the ever loving shit out of this guy.” 

“Tanaka--” Daichi started but Sugawara, who'd crossed over to him, put a hand on his shoulder to quiet him. 

Tsukishima side-eyed him. Tanaka wasn't sure what impulse he was acting on. _Camaraderie? What’s right versus what's wrong? That face he made when he realized Yamaguchi had been hurt?_ Ten minutes ago Tanaka couldn't be bothered if this guy keeled over, now he’s offering to best this guy up on his behalf and he couldn't be more serious. 

Tsukishima started to loosen his grip on his neck. “Swear you’ll kick his ass?”

“He’ll be the one with internal bleeding.” 

“T-Tsu-k-ki…” 

“Ah, Yamaguchi, perfect timing.” Ukai hummed. 

Everyone turned and looked at Yamaguchi whose eyes were open mere centimeters.

“Go, I got this.” Tanaka said. 

Tsukishima released his choke and the man feel in a heap on the floor coughing with restored used of his windpipe. Tanaka felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked over and Daichi was standing just behind him. 

“You can kick me off the team if you have to but--” 

“Don't over do it.” Daichi was as serious as ever.

Tanaka nodded. 

“Hey Tanaka, one for me too!” Tanaka looked towards Kageyama’s voice, and he was pointing down at the scrape on Hinata’s face. 

The man was whimpering and pleading in the glow of the street lamps but to say Tanaka felt no sympathy would be an understatement.

“Yamaguchi says three hard punches to the face, two kicks to the ribs.” Ukai called over; it was the last permission Tanaka needed. 

He reached down and pulled the guy up by the rim of his shirt, returning him to his place against the wall. “Plus one for Kageyama, that's four to the face and two to the ribs. I think he's getting off easy, what do you think?” 

Tanaka wasn't sure how he knew Ennoshita was behind him, but sure enough he stepped out around Tanaka with a look of fury on his face. “Too easy.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, I'm real sorry. The next chapter is fluff for days, so your palette cleanser is coming. 
> 
> P.S. Ukai going to medical school will be further addressed.


	5. The Seasoned Couple

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tanaka enlists a friend to help with his investigation, only to discover that perhaps he's the one being investigated.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Children, the fluff is quite real in this chapter. It is literally the polar opposite of the last chapter.

Tanaka found himself having a great time playing alongside Ennoshita under better circumstances than the fact that he’d knocked out the captain of the team. Takeda came through in the final hour with a practice match over the weekend with another team in their prefecture, and with Tsukishima and Yamaguchi out until next week still, Ennoshita had entered the starting line-up as a middle blocker in Tsukishima’s place, even though it wasn’t his typical position. 

Tanaka glanced at the score. _23-19, us. We took the first set easily, but they’re sneaking up on us in this one. Just a team that needs to find the groove; a lot like us._

“Tanaka!” He heard Kageyama yell, but he was already mid-air ready for the spike. He smashed it hard and it flew directly past the single blocker who’d haphazardly tried to run from Hinata’s triple-block, but just wasn’t fast enough. The ball hit the court with a loud smash, just outside the fist of the fighting libero and bounced away. 

“Hell yeah!!!” Tanaka cheered, turning to high five Kageyama. “Kageyama, that was a perfect toss for me!” 

“Got it!” Kageyama shouted. 

“Tanaka, nice kill!” Ennoshita said, patting him on the back. 

“Let’s get the next one!” Daichi shouted. 

“Match point!” Sugawara shouted. 

“Asahi, nice serve!” Everyone shouted back as the Ace served another fundamental. 

The ball sailed over the net and the other team scrambled to set up their attack. 

“No. 8!” Daichi called out. 

“Right!” Ennoshita and Tanaka were shoulder to shoulder quickly, jumping up high to block the ball. 

At the last second the setter lightly tossed the ball back over the net. 

“Setter dump!” Sugawara warned from the sidelines. 

Daichi and Nishinoya both charged forward autonomously. “I’ve got it!’ Nishinoya called out. He jumped and extended his arm, and the ball just barely bounced off the back of his hand and went flying directly back up. 

Tanaka observed the closeness of the ball to the net. It was easily accessible by both teams and it needed to be tossed over before the other team could do so. Knowing he wouldn’t make it, he pushed against Ennoshita’s arm, who seemed to understand immediately and jumped up and over to dump the ball. As he palmed the ball to push it over, the middle blocker from the other team went up and palmed it as well. 

_Shit a joust! Is Ennoshita strong eno--_

Tanaka thought he could nearly see the trail of Ennoshita’s power, move through his body, up his arm and into his hand. Even though the opposing player had two inches of height and a fair amount of girth on Ennoshita, the ball caved under the pressure of Ennoshita’s strength and slipped forcefully from the other player’s hand, quickly finding the court before anyone could dig it up. 

Tanaka couldn’t control his impulse as he heard the final whistle blow. He charged forward, wrapped his arms around Ennoshita’s torso and lifted him from his feet excitedly. “That was badass, Ennoshita!” The roar of their teammates cheering magnified the moment. 

As Tanaka put Ennoshita down, Karasuno’s other players ran forward to pat and congratulate him. Tanaka smiled when he noticed Ennoshita’s light blush under the rain of compliments. The team did their regular postgame routine; shook hands, received game advice from both coaches, and changed back into their street clothes. 

They were walking out to the bus when they heard a familiar voice. “Nice, Ennoshita!” 

Everyone looked over and saw Yamaguchi standing there, with Tsukishima at his side. 

The team resounded with excitement but Coach Ukai quickly shouted out. “OI! DON’T RUSH HIM!” 

They approached the pair and one by one everyone greeted Yamaguchi with words of relief and happiness. 

“Way to go on that last joust Ennoshita!” Yamaguchi said again when the two were close enough. 

“Thanks...” Ennoshita smiled. “...but really it was Tanaka, he told me to go after the ball. A more seasoned middle blocker might have been better there, I think I just got lucky.” 

Tanaka was frustrated that Ennoshita wouldn’t accept his praise. “What are you talking about lucky? That guy had inches and pounds on you and you still forced it past him, that was incredible!” 

“I was shocked you forced it.” Tsukishima said plainly. 

Both Tanaka and Ennoshita curled their mouths in irritation but they also knew that it was about as close to praise as one could get from Tsukishima. 

“How are you feeling Yamaguchi?” Ukai asked. 

“Much better. I’m restless. Two weeks in bed is not good for me. I’ll be glad to get back to practice next week.” Tsukishima shifted uneasily. “Tsukki is not as excited.” 

“I think you could use a couple more weeks.” He stated bluntly. 

“I keep telling everyone this whole thing has been blown out of proportion. It's just a bad bruise.” Despite general disagreement, everyone just laughed and sighed at the statement. “Actually we came today because my dad is still so grateful for everything everyone did. He wants to treat everyone to a meal. Can you make it tonight? He was thinking somewhere in Sendai. You too, Yachi; Shimizu.” 

“I’ve never been one to turn down a free meal!” Nishinoya exclaimed, earning him an annoyed nudge from Asahi; who still nodded to signify that he could go. 

“I can go.” Narita said simply. “Me too.” Kinoshita agreed.

“I’m in!” Kageyama and Hinata said at the same time, eyeing each other as rivals when it happened. 

“We’re in.” Sugawara huffed out sweetly. 

“Replied for Daichi…” Tanaka whispered to Ennoshita, who nodded. 

He’d embarrassingly admitted to his investigation to Ennoshita during their walk home after the altercation with Yamaguchi and the thief. Ennoshita, who didn't find it strange at all, hypothesized that Sugawara and Daichi were, not only together, but had been together since they were freshmen. Ever since, the two have been ‘James Bonding’ to find out more information. Tanaka smiled stupidly as he remembered his idiotic pun. 

“You two?” Daichi asked them.

“Uh, oh, I can go!” Ennoshita replied, chuckling nervously 

“Yeah, me too!” Tanaka held up a thumbs up. 

“Yachi and I are in.” Shimizu added at the end. 

“Good then! Lets take this bus to Sendai!” Takeda, the team’s counselor, said excitedly as everyone cheered. 

Tanaka couldn’t remember a time when he’d been in such a nice restaurant. Music played in a language he didn’t understand and the walls were ornate and decorated with art. Despite the fact that there was definitely a dress code, a brief conversation with Yamaguchi, that simply included dropping his dad’s name, convinced the host to make an exception for the athletically dressed volleyball team. This didn’t shunt the looks they received as they made their way to their table, but adequately paired off, and excited for the meal, no one seemed to notice or care. 

“This is a seriously nice place.” Tanaka whispered to Ennoshita as they entered. 

“Yeah, try not to embarrass me.” Ennoshita joked. 

Tanaka chuckled. “No promises.” 

Thanks to Ennoshita’s brilliant thinking, he and Tanaka sat kiddy-corner from Daichi and Sugawara so they could appropriately observe how they interacted. They giggled like a pair of school girls when Daichi interfered with Sugawara’s order to remind him to have something that he wouldn’t like removed, and Tanaka felt a slight sense of ‘love story’ warmth when, every time Daichi would set his cup back down on the table too close to the edge, Sugawara would autonomously move it to a safe spot near the top of his plate.

Across from them, Tanaka noticed Asahi shifting uneasily next to Nishinoya who was completely focused on an invisible task. Tanaka held out his chopsticks and clicked them at Nishinoya. “Stop that!” 

_Seriously, who’s worse, these two…_ Tanaka glanced over at Hinata’s hand covered in small bruises. _...or these two?_

“Noya and Asahi are worse.” Ennoshita said softly between bites. _Wait… Was I talking out loud?_ “Don't worry, you didn’t say anything out loud, I could tell by the way you were looking.” _What the-- how is he doing this?_

Tanaka focused all of his attention of Ennoshita. _If you can hear me what is two plus two? NO! Two TIMES two?_ He waited for a long time, inexplicably certain that he’d reply any second.

“Um. Tanaka, please stop that.” Ennoshita whispered. 

_Huh?_ Allowing his senses to come back to reality he noticed the entire table was watching him stare shamelessly at Ennoshita. His face flushed red. He turned back to a neutral position. “He’s not psychic.” He said softly, awarding him a flurry of strange head cocks and confused faces from his fellow teammates, coach, team managers, and team counselor. 

“What?” Nishinoya asked. 

Ennoshita waved his hand. “Nothing, nothing. Someone is clearly tired.”

Tanaka was ready to get back to studying Daichi and Sugawara but Ennoshita suddenly began behaving very bizarrely. One-worded answers, a relentlessly carried on conversation with Asahi (which annoyed Nishinoya) and a new aloof treatment of Tanaka left him confused and annoyed that he was no longer being paid attention to. 

_Seriously what is his deal?_

It soured dinner for him and he was relieved to finally be headed home. They had to return the bus to the school parking lot for Takeda to drive back to the rental place the next day, so they resumed normal operations to travel from school to their homes. Everyone went their separate ways, making sure to bid Yamaguchi special farewells, and began for home. Tanaka, Sugawara and Daichi lived in a similar direction so they often walked part of the way home together. Tanaka was already agitated about his spoiled evening when he noticed Daichi and Sugawara whispering and passing him side-eyes. 

“What is it?” Tanaka finally sneered at the pair after a while. 

“N-Nothing.” Daichi replied. 

_Irritation._ “Don’t lie.” 

Sugawara and Daichi exchanged nervous glances. “Um…” Sugawara started. 

Tanaka tensed. “WHAT DO YOU TWO WANT?” He shouted. 

They jumped at the increased volume. “We wanted to ask you something but don’t feel pressured to tell us if it’s too personal.” Sugawara explained. 

“Okay.” Tanaka hissed. 

“Uh… Are you and Ennoshita… A thing?” 

_What?_ “What?” _What?_

“Uh, no. It’s just you two seem really close, and uh, I guess you reminded us of… us.” 

Tanaka stopped. _That’s as good as a confession right? I have to tell Ennoshita!_ Tanaka reached for his phone in his jacket pocket, but then he remembered how weird things were and moved his hand back to his side dejectedly. 

“Tanaka, you okay?” Sugawara asked. 

Tanaka started walking again. “Yeah…” His response was unconvincing and it made Sugawara drop the subject. 

He was no longer enjoying sneaking around for answers to his inquiries. What he’d learned was that the rumor, which was incorrectly told to him, was that the Karasuno’s Boys Volleyball Team was all gay men. He’d learned that there was a lot of truth to the rumor as he’d since discovered that Kageyama and Hinata, Asahi and Nishinoya, Tsukishima and Yamaguchi and Daichi and Sugawara were all coupled off. Though he done all of the first part himself, the feeling of losing his study buddy, made the detective work of it all seem more troublesome than fun. 

“You two are a thing?” Tanaka boldly asked. 

Daichi looked at Sugawara, whom nodded approvingly. “Yeah.” Daichi responded. 

“For how long?” Tanaka inquired, now wanting to answer the long list of questions he and Ennoshita had written on the back of his diagram about the pair. 

“Since just before Inter-Scholastics our freshman year.” Sugawara answered. 

_Ennoshita was right, I wish I could tell him._ Tanaka thought it was exceedingly interesting that he could clearly tell the differences in the timelines across the couples. Hinata and Kageyama were clearly a new couple, intent on destroying one another, as they actively experiment with their temperaments, among other things. Asahi and Nishinoya had a little more time under their belt, and had well established roles. Despite the odd kink, they were discreet, but clearly cared for one another. Tsukishima and Yamaguchi were classic friends turned lovers. Tanaka recalled the look on Tsukishima’s face when Yamaguchi got hurt. 

_That man will terrify me for the rest of my life._

Then there was Sugawara and Daichi, the seasoned couple. They’d been together for so long that their friendship was the face of their relationship. Tanaka imagined that they were intimate when others weren’t looking, but now that he knew the truth it was clear to him; _the fact that they love each other is pretty obvious._ They often said things in unison and almost always seemed to be on the same wavelength. They could communicate without talking, and knew, even finite details about one another. He watched them chatting away cheerily occasionally making one another laugh, and projecting a general aura of love and contentment. He figured they probably weren’t very different privately from how they were publicly. 

Tanaka could admit it; he was jealous. 

“You know…” Tanaka started, disrupting their conversation. “...I think you guys are really lucky.” 

“Why’s that?” Daichi asked. 

Tanaka blushed. “The way you are with each other. I think there are people who live their whole lives without ever having that.” He felt fear for himself. Everyone seemed to have someone; he suddenly felt very lonely. “Someone who knows them so well that they can communicate without even talking, or someone you can spend all of your time with and never get sick of them, or someone they always have fun around, or someone they share a passion with. Something… next level. Something real.” Tanaka was flat out embarrassed. _When did I turn into such a sappy person? I think I really am just physically, emotionally and mentally exhausted._

“Um, so you and Ennoshita aren’t a couple?” Sugawara asked again. 

Annoyed. “Huh!? I just said something really sentimental to you and you ignore me?” Tanaka barked. 

“No, no. We aren’t ignoring you. You remind us of us. That’s why we thought you two were together because it seemed like you two had all that stuff.” Daichi commented with a worried look on his face. 

_Huh?_ “Huh?” _Huh?_

“Well I mean, it seems like you two know each other really well…” Sugawara started. Tanaka thought back over the last two weeks; remembering that Ennoshita could easily tell when he was dazed out in class, or the psychic like way he responded to his thoughts during dinner. “...and you are always together.” _Volleyball in the morning, all the same classes, volleyball in the afternoon; we do spend most weekends together; granted those boobs Narita and Kinoshita usually tag along. I guess we always sit together on the bus, and always pair for drills during practice…_ “You don't seem to mind.” _I don't. Anything else would be weird._

“You communicate well without talking; I mean that play today…” Daichi interjected. Tanaka remembered the way he was able to alert Ennoshita to the ball today just by pushing his arm. _When I talked Tsukishima out of destroying that guy, Ennoshita was right behind me. I still don’t know why I was so confident he’d be there… but he was._ “...and Suga and I were just saying earlier, that we don’t think we’ve ever seen you have as much fun in a game as we did today, the only difference was that Ennoshita was in.” 

_This is all very well-thought out... Were they studying Ennoshita and I like we were them?_ Tanaka’s heart began pounding. Um, what is happening right now? 

“You’re at least both passionate about volleyball.” Sugawara said as they came to the intersection where Tanaka usually parted ways from Daichi and Sugawara. 

_Not just that. He seemed to show as much interest in trying to find out everything about all the couples as I did. Plus, he’s the only other member of the team that seems to share my vehement dislike for Tsukishima. In fact, Tanaka couldn't think of any of his own interests that Ennoshita didn't share._

_What. Is. Happening?_

Sugawara smiled suddenly. “Ah, I get it.” He walked over to Tanaka and put a hand on his shoulder. “It kinda sucks when it hits you suddenly huh?” 

_What are you… talking about?_

Daichi chuckled. “He’s almost as dense as you were about it, Suga.” 

“Almost.” Suga agreed. “If he goes home and freaks out tonight, we’ll be about the same.” 

_Freak out?_

“Don’t over do it, Tanaka.” Daichi warned kindly. 

“It’ll be okay.” Suga comforted. He patted Tanaka a couple times on his shoulder before he and Daichi continued down the road. He watched as, once they were a small ways away, they linked hands; talking and laughing as they went. 

Once they were gone from sight Tanaka began up the short road to his home.   
_Freak out? What is there to freak out about?_

His phone buzzed in his back pocket. He pulled it out slowly and opened it to his texts. 

_‘Sorry about today.’ It’s from Ennoshita. What’s he sorry about?_

Every response he typed he deleted. _Why can’t I think of what to say…?_

Thoughts of his last two weeks raced through his brain, then eventually, the last two years.

_This all started because of those stupid girls…_

_...but it wasn’t like I didn’t have fun…_

The memory of he and Ennoshita laughing at dinner flashed across his mind and he started to walk faster. The memory of Ennoshita standing next to him as he prepared to demolish Yamaguchi’s attacker followed it and he increased his pace even more. Ennoshita tapping him on his head, telling him to focus during class rolled in.

_Damn you, Sugawara…_

Ennoshita laughing, Ennoshita scowling, Ennoshita lecturing, Ennoshita Jousting, Ennoshita whispering, Ennoshita smiling. Tanaka was sprinting towards his house now; like if he tried hard enough he could out run the rapid beating of his own heart that he knew he couldn’t attribute to his speed. 

_...I’m freaking out!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's hear it for Takeda making it into the fic eh?


	6. The New Couple

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tanaka has more in common with his teammates than he originally realized; one in particular.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's happening.

Someone might've thought Tanaka was being stalked by the way he was looking all around when he was approaching school for practice Monday morning. His freakout happened just as Sugawara said it would and now the idea of seeing Ennoshita terrified him to his core. Despite spending hours agonizing over it, he still had no idea what he was going to say. 

_I don't think I'm gay, but I would be in a gay relationship with you._

_No, no, no that sounds ridiculous. Plus I don't know if that's true._

_I like you better than the guys on the internet._

_Nope, that's creepy._

_Let's just do this, we're there only ones left._

_That makes it sound like I don't actually like him._

_Which I do…_

_…I really do._

Tanaka’s heart started racing as he approached the club room door. He was late, as usual, which meant everyone would be inside already; everyone. 

He grabbed the handle of the door and stood motionless for a few seconds. He significantly considered going home but realized it wouldn't do him much good. 

_I spend most of my time with this man, eventually, I'll have to face him._

Before he could make a firm decision, the door pushed against him and he just narrowly escaped the metal colliding with his face. 

“Ah! Tanaka! I'm sorry!” Asahi whined. 

Taken off guard, Tanaka patted Asahi’s shoulder and walked around him. Nervously, he scanned the club room for the one he was most anxious to see. 

_He's not here._

He did see someone of interest however as he crossed the room to Sugawara who was already watching him expectantly. 

“Uh, Tanaka, are you okay?” Nishinoya asked behind him, but he didn't answer. He came to a stop in front of Sugawara crouched down by his bag, and stared down at him. 

“Did you freak out?” Sugawara asked. 

Tanaka nodded cartoonishly, in a way that involved his entire upper body. 

“Do you want to talk about it?” Sugawara asked. 

“Yes please.” Tanaka’s voice was childlike and quiet. 

Sugawara stood and led out of the club room as everyone watched Tanaka nervously, clearly concerned about his sudden, timid, nature. Nishinoya started to follow but Daichi held him back and shook his head. He muttered words of comfort as well but Tanaka and Sugawara were clear of the club room before he could make them out. 

The bright sun burned into Tanaka’s skull, reminding him off how little sleep he got. Sugawara sat in a grassy spot just near one of the abandoned pathways and Tanaka leaned against the wall next to him. 

“Tired?” Sugawara started. 

“Very.” Tanaka kicked at the dirt below him. 

Sugawara chuckled understandably. “Resolved?” 

“I think so.” Tanaka said unconvincingly. 

“Think?” 

“I spent my entire weekend looking at guys on the internet. My sister caught me, twice.” Tanaka held up the number ‘two’ as he said it. 

Sugawara winced at the concept. “Did you learn anything?” 

Tanaka thought back on the confusing experience. “What is it called when you can totally understand why someone would be attracted to something, but you just can't get there?” 

Sugawara shifted. “Well it depends.” 

“On what?” 

“If you can't get there because you don't feel anything at all, or if you can't get there because your feelings for something else are much stronger.” 

Tanaka’s heart was pounding again, Sugawara was circling the same conclusion he'd drawn on his own over the weekend. 

“What's the difference?” He asked, not really needing an answer. 

“Well if you just aren't attracted, it means you just don't like that thing that way, example, you're straight.” 

Tanaka gulped in preparation for the next answer. 

“But if the problem is that you just didn't like any of those guys more than Ennoshita…” Tanaka blushed at Sugawara’s sudden decision to stop being unspecific. “Then I'd call it ‘love.’”

Tanaka breathed deeply. He felt odd looking at guys in every magazine, on every TV show and on the internet, but it wasn't the kind of weird that made him feel like he was straight, it was the kind of weird that made him feel like he was doing something wrong, because it wasn't Ennoshita. 

Things got the most crazy when he started to rationalize his own actions by telling himself that it was fine because he wasn't in a relationship. 

Then he started to think about being in a relationship with Ennoshita, and that didn't feel weird. 

Then he started to think about kissing Ennoshita, and that didn't feel weird. 

Then he started to think about doing other things with Ennoshita, and he felt weird, but not for the reason he thought he would. 

“So which is it?” Sugawara asked after the silence had been too long. 

Tanaka breathed in what he already knew but was about to openly admit for the first time. He felt oddly calm. “...love.”

A large smile found its way to Sugawara’s face. “Scary huh?” 

“Terrifying.” 

“Are you going to tell him?” 

Tanaka fiddled with the miscellaneous scraps of paper and garbage in his pockets. “I want to, but I don't know what to say.” 

“Just be honest.” Sugawara stood up and brushed off his shorts. “Daichi was honest first and then I freaked out so I didn't have that fear of not knowing, but I think the feelings are mutual so just say what's in your heart.” He glanced at Tanaka. “Sorry, I know that's cheesy.” 

Tanaka smiled earnestly for the first time in two days. “Yeah, you sound lame.” 

“Come on, Ukai is probably flipping out.” 

Tanaka walked over to Sugawara and they made their way towards the gym. 

“Don't take too long changing, I'll cover for you.” 

“Thanks.” Tanaka started for the club room. 

“Oh Tanaka…” Sugawara called back to him and Tanaka turned to face him. “Don't tell him you looked at guys on the internet. That'll just be our secret until I've successfully buried it in the far recesses of my mind.” 

Tanaka chuckled. “Yeah, thanks.”

Tanaka entered the club room slowly and crossed over to where he'd left his bag. He pulled off his jacket first, then his T-Shirt, tossing them aside haphazardly as he put on his gym shirt and then changed his shorts. He started collecting all his items and shoving them back in his gym bag, but his T-Shirt had flown under one of the nearby shelves. He got on his knees and reached under to grab it, stretching his arm its full length to reach it. 

_How on earth did I even toss it back this far!?_

“Tanaka?” A familiar voice made his heart stop. 

He jumped at the sound and bashed his head against the shelf. He pulled his body out from under the shelf and grabbed his head as it seared with pain.

“Are you okay!?” Ennoshita lightly touched Tanaka’s head. The sudden touch startled Tanaka, who reactively smacked his hand away. 

_Shit! I didn't mean to do that!_ At that moment his head pounded under the spot where he hit it. _For supposedly having such a thick skull it's not helped me at all. Thanks mom._

“Sorry… I'll leave.” Ennoshita said sadly. 

Tanaka heard the words and panicked. _No! Don't leave!_

Overwhelmed, Tanaka lunged forward and hooked Ennoshita’s leg, causing him to trip and fall to the floor. 

“AH! OH MY GOD, I’M SORRY!!” Tanaka wasn't entirely sure how a confession was supposed to go, be he knew it wasn't supposed to go like this. 

“What the fuck, Tanaka!?” Ennoshita growled from face down on the floor, snatching his ankle free from Tanaka’s hold.

Head and heart still pounding, Tanaka crawled across and leaned over Ennoshita’s down-turned head. “Shit, Ennoshita, I'm so sorry!! Are you okay?” 

Ennoshita flipped onto his side in a huff and just like that the two were face to face; inches from one another. 

When the moment finally presented itself, Tanaka became aware of just how much he wanted it. Briefly he wondered if he'd gotten this close any time before, if his body would have screamed the truth at him as clearly as it was now. All of Tanaka’s fears flew from his body as he leaned in. 

The door to the club room opened and Coach Ukai looked down and the near kissing couple. A small blush covered his face of sheer agitation. 

“Ennoshita, I sent you up here to get Tanaka. This would not fall into that category.” 

Ennoshita’s face turned bright red. “Sorry, sir.” 

“And you!” Ukai turned his attention to Tanaka. “Your tardiness is starting to affect others. Get it together or I'm benching you!” He put his hands on his hips angrily. “If you two aren't in the gym in five minutes, you'll be cleaning up after practice until long after nationals!!” Ukai stormed out but was back in a few seconds. “But at different times!” 

They could hear him stomping down the stairs grumbling into the distance. Tanaka’s face hued with embarrassment as he stood to his feet. _Definitely not how this was supposed to go._

He reached a hand down to Ennoshita. “Sorry. I got you in trouble.” 

Ennoshita grabbed his hand and pulled to counterbalance as he rose to his feet. “It's okay.” 

“That's not how this was supposed to go.” Tanaka admitted looking down at Ennoshita’s hand still tucked inside his own. 

“How what was supposed to go?” Ennoshita responded, though his voice was definitive, like it wasn't really a question. 

“Uh… Well I was looking at guys on the internet…” Tanaka could hear Sugawara’s voice in his head telling him not to say that. “Uh, no, wait.” 

But before he could keep going Ennoshita busted out laughing; side-splitting laughter, the kind that brought tears to his eyes. It was cute and heart warming but Tanaka was confused. _Did Suga know he would react like this when he told me not to mention it?_

“W-what?” Tanaka’s cheeks flushed. 

“I…” Ennoshita struggled to catch his breath. He kept attempting to open his mouth but every time he did, laughter would come out instead. Tanaka couldn’t help but smile as Ennoshita finally managed to speak. “I did the same thing!” He started laughing all over again and when Tanaka understood he joined in on the laughter. “Did you realize you look a lot like the guy in the milk commercial!?” Ennoshita used his free hand to wrap around his stomach as he doubled over. 

Tanaka flailed crazily. “There’s a guy on the Japan soccer team that could be your twin!!” 

The two laughed more, enjoying not feeling crazy as individuals, but rather, as a pair. Tanaka couldn't take it anymore. _He did the same thing!? Because of me!?_ He used the hand of Ennoshita’s that he had and pulled. When Ennoshita looked up, Tanaka only had a second to see the humor diminish from his face instantly before their lips finally met. Everything faded away, including Ukai’s threats. 

_Make me clean the gym every day._

Ennoshita pulled back, earning him a supremely annoyed grunt from Tanaka and they both took a few hard breaths. He pulled Tanaka towards the door. “Come on, we don’t have time for this right now. I can't be the reason you get benched.” 

Tanaka relinquished for a few steps but he was like a child who'd just been given unlimited access to his favorite candy. He reached around Ennoshita with his free hand and pulled the club room door shut, securing Ennoshita between his arms on the inside of it.

“Tanaka!” Ennoshita complained. 

“Sorry, one more…” He freed his hands and wrapped them on either side of Ennoshita’s neck and pressed his lips to his passionately. 

This time he let his tongue slip out of his mouth. He slid it across Ennoshita’s lower lip; reveling in the soft feeling and sweet taste. Ennoshita slowly opened his own mouth, with a brief break of the kiss and when they reunited, their tongues met one another and swirled in and out excitedly. Volleyball practice was a million miles away as Tanaka moved his hands from Ennoshita’s neck, to his torso, pushing his shirt up his ribcage. 

Ennoshita violently pulled his head from this kiss. “Stop! I don't want the first time we do something like this to be in the club room at school and it's going to take a lot longer than the 42 seconds we have left.” 

Tanaka growled at the separation. “42 seconds!? Are you counting?” 

“I don't want you to get benched!” 

Ennoshita reached a hand down behind himself and turned the handle, giving Tanaka one last, calm kiss. “Don't worry. We have plenty of time.” The phrase made Tanaka’s heart race. 

As they ran towards the gym, a realization settled over Tanaka that he was sure his teammates had realized at some point with their own partners. 

_It doesn't beat kissing him, but we get to spend the rest of the day together now…_

“I love you.” Tanaka said softly just before they entered the gym, completely ignoring Ukai’s barking. 

_...that's awesome..._

Ennoshita smiled. “I love you too.” 

_…it always has been._

***

Tanaka couldn't have been happier as he walked the hall to class with his new boyfriend at his side. They turned the corner and standing there, were the same girls who'd first alerted Tanaka to the rumor nearly a month ago. As he passed by them with Ennoshita close by, they began to look and whisper. Tanaka stopped and turned towards the girls who hushed and blushed immediately.

Tanaka smiled. “It's exactly what you think." He closed in on them. "So now I have just one question for you.” The girls shuddered as he replaced his smile with the most ridiculous and intimidating face he could muster. “Are we the cutest couple?” 

Ennoshita smacked Tanaka across the back of the head and grabbed him by the collar of his uniform. As he was being dragged away, he saw two of the girls nodding and smiling at him.

“YES!! TWO OUT OF FOUR!” He pointed happily at them as they giggled. 

“It's just because I'm so ‘semi-handsome’.” Ennoshita attempted to mock with irritation as Tanaka stood up straight, but it didn't work. 

Tanaka smiled. “Most likely.” 

Ennoshita smiled. “You're weird.” 

Tanaka chuckled. “What does that say about you?” 

Tanaka’s heart beat faster as Ennoshita laughed. 

_This is not where I saw my investigation ending up…_ He looked at Ennoshita through the corner of his eye and smiled broadly _…but I'll take it._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realize that I've posted two chapters in less than 24 hours, but I'm excited to finish this one out for a flurry of reasons. 
> 
> 1\. I've got a new Haikyuu!! coming up that's a Tsukkiyama and they're SO many people's OTP that I don't want to deny you it any longer.   
> 2\. I ended up liking my Narita/Kinoshita chapter the most and I can't wait for you to read it (expect it real soon).   
> 3\. I'm ready to have the full fic up.


	7. The Invisible Couple

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Narita and Kinoshita have a knack for going unnoticed amidst their paired off teammates, none of whom seem to take the line drawn between public and private very seriously.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wouldn't say it gets explicit per se, but there's a lot of implied action. The chapter COULD have been titled. "The Couples Get Smutty." 
> 
> I basically used Narita and Kinoshita to give myself another opportunity to write about each couple, I can admit that. I do still offer some Narita/Kinoshita cuteness, but I did get a little out of control writing more Daichi/Suga and Tsukki/Yama because I wasn't satisfied with the amount we got to see their relationships in their chapters. 
> 
> For that reason, this final chapter also gets a bit long. Enjoy!

Narita and Kinoshita have been together since the sixth grade. They’ve never been the type to make friends easily, but they found refuge in one another because they share a particular problem: they're invisible. Being invisible can have its perks. They’ve gotten more things for free than they could count because they were simply forgotten and they managed to find their way onto their middle school volleyball team because the captain told everyone in the room they’d made the team, not realizing the two were there (fortunately they’re actually very good). However it has it’s downsides as well, for example, it doesn't go well with the pair’s affinity for ending up in corners and closets unbeknownst to their amorous teammates.

***

In the nearly completely evacuated gym, Sugawara sat uncharacteristically close to his boyfriend as he sat with his knees curled up plotting out formations.

“Shoot.” Narita said simply from the dark equipment room. 

“What?” Kinoshita replied. 

Narita sighed and sat down against the shelves. “They forgot about us again.”

“It's Suga and Daichi though, they don't do stuff here.” Kinoshita glanced out to the couple. 

Sugawara moved his leg that was touching Daichi’s over it so that his leg was in between Daichi’s, then he kissed him on his cheek. 

Daichi side-eyed him at the action. “What's gotten into you?” 

“We've never done anything here…” Sugawara started. 

“That's because we're dignified, civilized, people.” Daichi said, returning to the notebook on his knee. 

“I know but soon our opportunity will be gone.” Sugawara whispered into Daichi’s ear. 

“Suddenly you're nostalgic?” Daichi smirked. Sugawara chuckled and rested his head in the crook of Daichi’s neck, who autonomously turned his head and placed a light kiss on the other’s forehead. “I love you, but forget it.” He tried to sound sympathetic. 

He went back to etching away at his playbook but Sugawara wasn't about to take ‘no’ for an answer. He smiled knowing that no person on this earth knew Daichi like he did. He's ‘inspired’ him under more difficult conditions than this. He lifted his head and began to kiss Daichi behind his ear. Sugawara sucked and licked at the spot with the intention of leaving behind a mark; a sly reminder that this volleyball captain was unavailable. 

“Suga, stop it.” 

Sugawara released and looked down at the bruise he left behind. “Just ignore me. I'll get bored eventually if you don't respond.”

Daichi clicked his teeth in irritation; he'd heard that before. 

Sugawara grinned seductively at his partner's side glance. Resolved to be successful in resisting it this time, Daichi turned his attention back to his work and committed all his focus to it, but Sugawara was hardly phased. He set a kiss at the top of the brunet's jaw line, and dragged it all the way down along the jaw itself, licking as he journeyed, ending with light nibbles at his chin; his lover’s favorite. Daichi proved Sugawara right when he purred in response to the feeling. 

With Daichi’s resistance waning, Sugawara reached his hand down and up under the captain's jersey, slowly caressing the warm skin. He knew all too well how much his man liked having his stomach rubbed. The only thing he loves more… Sugawara moved his hand from its palm to its fingertips, gently digging his nails into the soft flesh and dragging lightly. …is when it's clawed at.

Sugawara, whom somewhere along the way had shielded his hazel eyes to the sight before him, opened them and smiled. Daichi’s closed eyes, slightly cocked head, tinted cheeks and pen and notebook carelessly tossed to the ground told him that he'd been successful. Haughty and pleased with himself, Sugawara pulled all his forces back and straddled his boyfriend's lap, pulling desperately at his jersey as they kissed feverishly. 

Daichi pushed back. “Suga, wait…” 

Sugawara felt a tinge of disappointment; he really thought he'd gotten him past the point if resistance, especially if the bulge in lover’s shorts was any indicator. 

“Why?” His voice was uncharacteristically sharp. 

Daichi looked at Sugawara with concern. “Did you see Narita and Kinoshita leave?” 

Sugawara gasped and turned his head towards the equipment room. The light of the gym pierced the darkness of the equipment room and Sugawara could just barely make out the silhouettes of two bland bodies. 

Are they playing cards!? 

“Honestly, those two have no presence at all.” Sugawara was comforted by how irritated Daichi sounded. “OI!” He shouted causing Sugawara to jump. “YOU TWO! GET OUT!”

Without any further instruction Narita and Kinoshita hopped up and walked out of the equipment room. Narita bolted for the door stopping only when he realized Kinoshita wasn't right behind him. 

“Um…” Kinoshita started. He pointed to a small clump of scattered volleyball materials in the corner of the gym. “Should we finish cleaning these?” 

“GET OUT!” Sugawara and Daichi shouted in unison. 

Narita smacked Kinoshita’s head as he passed. “What is the matter with you?” 

“I didn't want to get in trouble for not finishing.” 

“We're going to get in trouble anyway for them not finishing!” 

“Oh…” Kinoshita blushed knowing his boyfriend was right.

***

Narita was walking out of the showers and admiring the niceness of the full locker room at this particular training camp when he noticed Kinoshita sitting on one of the benches fiddling with a deck of cards.

“Again?” Narita complained but Kinoshita didn't have to reply before he could hear voices on the other side of the row of lockers. 

“Hinata, come on!” Kageyama growled. 

“No!” Hinata responded. 

“You can't leave me like this!” 

“You send me to school every day covered in hickeys!” Hinata barked. “This is your punishment.” 

Kageyama scoffed. “Yeah right.” 

Hinata grunted loudly. “Stop it! Put me down!” 

“Oh, I plan to.” Kageyama’s voice was strained as he tussled with Hinata. 

“No! I didn't mean it that way. Let go!” 

There was a loud slam against the lockers that caused Narita and Kinoshita to flinch. 

“Come on, I'll be quick.” 

“I know.” Hinata hissed, followed quickly by a sharp yelp. 

“What was that?” Kageyama groaned angrily. 

Through labored breath Hinata huffed out a response. “Sorry. Gut reaction is to insult you.” 

Kageyama grunted. “Lucky for us you just took a shower.” 

“P-pervert.” Hinata spit out between moans that were no longer resistant in nature. 

As Narita dealt a new hand he began to think he and his boyfriend needed to do a better job of making themselves known.

*** 

Narita and Kinoshita cleared the school building and were making their way towards the club room when they saw two of their teammates in the grass of the courtyard.

Asahi sat with a book balanced in one hand, the other was tenderly petting the libero seemingly asleep with his head rested on the leg opposite the hand holding the book. The look of total contentment on Asahi’s face made his onlooking, invisible, teammates smile. It was an uncharacteristically sweet moment for them to witness amidst the usual debauchery, and they couldn't help but stare. 

Nishinoya shifted slightly and started to unzip his boyfriend's pants. Asahi smacked his head with his book, face red, as the smaller started to service him happily with his mouth. 

Narita threw his hands up in frustration as he moved on towards the club room with Kinoshita following right behind him. 

“Honestly, it was so nice at first, why are they like this?” Kinoshita groaned. 

Nishinoya smiled at the comment, eyeing them as they walked away.

***

Kinoshita pulled out his deck of cards.

“Wait.” Narita whispered. 

They were still on the bus after a game and everyone had gone home except for Tsukishima and Yamaguchi who were standing awfully close to one another just outside. 

“What's wrong?” Tsukishima asked gently. 

Yamaguchi’s cheeks pinked. “Nothing.” 

“Liar.” 

“I'm fine!” Yamaguchi snapped surprising both the tall boy facing him and the two watching from the bus. 

Tsukishima reached a hand up to grasp Yamaguchi’s face. He leaned down and put his mouth right near Yamaguchi’s. “I know that you're lying.” 

It was Yamaguchi who closed the distance, bringing the blond into a kiss. 

Kinoshita started to pull the cards out of their box. 

“Wait!” Narita said, grabbing Kinoshita’s wrist. “It's just a kiss.” 

There must have been something about the kiss because Tsukishima broke it with a look of concern. “Yamaguchi, what's wrong?” 

Yamaguchi’s face turned an even brighter shade of red against the night sky. “I… Um… We, um… You…” 

“Organize your thoughts, Tadashi.” Tsukishima ordered plainly. 

Yamaguchi snapped. “We haven't done anything in like a month!”

Tsukishima’s eyes widened at his boyfriend's outburst. “What?” 

Yamaguchi stared at the ground. “Ever since I got hurt… We haven't done anything.” 

“Uh… oh. I didn't want to hurt you any further.” Tsukishima admitted honestly. 

“I keep telling you I'm fine. I… Miss you.” 

Kinoshita tapped Narita’s arm. “Come on, I'll deal.” 

Narita waved him off. “There's still hope.” But Kinoshita found a seat on the floor. 

Tsukishima, whose own face was flushed now, pulled Yamaguchi into another kiss. “I'm sorry to have frustrated you, sir.” He glanced around a bit and Yamaguchi understood what he was looking for immediately. 

“No, Tsukki, let's just go back to my house.” 

“Yes! Yamaguchi!” Narita celebrated quietly. 

“It's so far away. You deserve to be taken care of immediately.” Tsukishima replied as his eyes landed on the bus. 

“I can wait that much longer at least.” Yamaguchi whined but Tsukishima was already pulling Yamaguchi back towards the same prison that already held Narita and Kinoshita. 

Narita melted to the floor and crawled into the third row of seats, opposite Kinoshita; aisle separating them. 

“What are you doing?” Kinoshita asked, but Narita only flailed in response as he heard Tsukishima and Yamaguchi boarding the bus.

They could only hope the pair would take their dalliances to the back row, giving Narita and Kinoshita their best chance to escape…

…but when the walking stopped and disconcerting sounds began they knew they wouldn't be so lucky. 

Kinoshita placed the deck of cards on the floor of the bus and held up a card, face out to Narita. 

Narita mouthed ‘lower’ and Kinoshita pulled the next card, setting his first one face down next to the deck, signifying Narita had been correct. 

When Kinoshita noticed that they had subconsciously started playing at the same pace as Tsukishima and Yamaguchi’s movements, he put the deck away and made a decision to find something else for he and his boyfriend to do when they ended up like this.

***

Kinoshita was putting things away in his gym bag, while Narita waited impatiently at the door. “Will you please hurry?” He asked impatiently.

Kinoshita tucked his water bottle in last and had begun zipping up his bag, when he was suddenly pulled up and yanked into the nearby utility closet. 

He looked at Narita as he closed the door. “What are you doing!?”

“Shh, someone's coming!” 

“It's probably just one of our teammates! We're allowed to be in the club room!”

“Everyone left; whoever's coming back is coming to do stuff.” Narita complained. 

Kinoshita knocked him on the back of his head. “Probably, but if they'd seen us, they would not have.” 

The realization settled over Narita as the club room door opened. “Sorry, I panicked. We end up like this way too often.” He whispered. 

“I'm starting to think it's your fault.” Kinoshita murmured. “I don't even have my cards.” 

“Shhh.” 

Kinoshita listened curiously, recognizing the voices. “Sounds like Tanaka and Ennoshita. We have nothing to with about then.” He reached for the for handle but Narita swatted his hand away. “What?” Kinoshita whispered with agitation. 

“We can't walk out from the closet; what will they think? They probably just forgot something, they'll get it and leave, and then we’ll leave.” 

“Tanaka…” Ennoshita moaned. 

Kinoshita jumped. “Wait… Are they?” 

Narita and Kinoshita both made looks of shock. 

“Are they together?” Narita whispered, but the sounds making their way to them was answer enough. 

“Ha! We got Tanaka! The gay agenda strikes again!” Kinoshita joked. 

“SHHH!” Narita hissed, but it was too late. 

“Did you hear that?” Tanaka asked. 

“Narita, lock the door!” 

Narita was already fumbling furiously with the door handle. “I can't see anything!” 

The door pulled away from Narita and light spilled into the small closet as Tanaka looked down at them.

“What the hell are you two doing?” He barked. 

“We were…” Kinoshita started. “...about to have sex.” Narita whacked his arm. “But so were you! So let's just go our separate ways; no judgment.” 

Ennoshita appeared next to Tanaka. “Anyone could have walked in on you.” Ennoshita reprimanded. 

Narita stood up. “Anyone could've walked in on you!” 

“Everyone was already gone, besides, we locked the door.” He retorted. 

“We were just here when you left! You weren't gone that long! You would have passed us if we'd left! You had to know we were still in here.” Narita complained. 

Tanaka and Ennoshita exchanged confused looks. “You were here when we left? We locked the door.” Tanaka stated simply. 

Narita was fed up as he looked at Kinoshita. He took Narita by the hand and pulled him out, grabbing their gym bags as he went. 

When they were outside, still hand-in-hand, Narita sighed. “Is this just a fate we’re doomed to?”

“I think so.” Kinoshita replied softly. 

“I know way too much about these men.” Kinoshita didn't reply and instead pulled Narita closer to him and kissed his forehead. “What's up with you?” 

Kinoshita shook his head. “Nothing. I was just thinking about something.” 

“What?” 

“Nothing. It's stupid.” 

“What is it?” 

Kinoshita smiled. “I was just thinking how lucky I am to have you.” 

Narita blushed. “Huh?” 

“It's like, we're completely invisible to those guys, but that doesn't really matter to me. As long as you can see me, I'm okay.” 

Narita’s heart beat faster. “Jeez, why are you saying stuff like that all of a sudden?” Kinoshita shrugged, still smiling stupidly, and gripping Narita’s hand even tighter. “I guess that’s true for me too though…” 

_As long as you can see me…_

***

Narita tripped over something on his way out of the club room the next morning. He looked down and someone's notebook was lying open on the floor. He picked it up to close it when he noticed his own name. It was written in a circle with Kinoshita’s name and with an ‘X’ through it. Reading over it he was suddenly grateful for his invisibility; certain that such sensitive material was only left behind as a side-effect of not seeing Narita was still there. He ran full speed to the gym and busted in excitedly. “I’VE FOUND SOMETHING!” He held the notebook high in the air. For once, all eyes were on him.

Tanaka recognized it and crossed the gym quickly, swinging to try and get it from Narita, but Narita intelligently handed it to Tsukishima who held it out of his reach with ease. He used his free arm to push Tanaka back and started to review the diagram with Yamaguchi. 

“What is it?” Sugawara asked, walking over with Daichi and Asahi just behind him. 

“N-nothing!” Tanaka waved, looking to Ennoshita for help, but he was explaining it to Nishinoya and they were both laughing. 

“You spelled ‘arrogant’ wrong.” Tsukishima noted. 

“What's ‘die-gin-or-ite’?” Yamaguchi asked. 

“...degenerate.” Tanaka replied and Tsukishima and Yamaguchi both doubled over with laughter. 

Hinata used his expert jumping skills to steal the notebook from Tsukishima. “It's not polite to read other people's things.” He punctuated. 

“Hinata…” Tanaka sighed in admiration. 

“Look, there's your name, next to mine.” Kageyama said looking over Hinata’s shoulder. 

“Huh? ‘Cute like a baby?’” Kageyama snickered as Hinata pouted. 

“Hinata, put it down here.” Daichi pointed to a spot on the floor.

“Daichi!” Tanaka cried. “What happened to it not being polite, Hinata?” 

“That went out the window when I was cute like a baby.” 

“Why are we the only ones with ‘gay’?” Kageyama asked. 

Tanaka bowed his head in shame. Hinata set the diagram down and everyone gathered around. When Tanaka tried to dive into the circle, Asahi grabbed him and held him back. 

“Why is my name written next to yours?” Nishinoya asked, concerned.

“I would also like to know.” Asahi said, turning to look at Tanaka struggling under his grip. 

“Just because we we're the last two second years I thought about! See, all the third years are in one bubble…” He not only had his friends’ relationship to secure, but now one of his own. 

“I had no idea you thought so highly of us, Tanaka.” Daichi joked. 

“Mm. I'm flattered.” Sugawara added. 

“Shut up.” Tanaka hissed. 

“Why is there just a huge ‘X’ through Narita and I's bubble?” Kinoshita asked. 

“It's probably because we’re ‘as interesting as grass.’” Narita pointed to the words as he read them. 

“And I'm supposed to be the mean one.” Tsukishima had still barely recovered. 

“What is this anyway?” Hinata asked. 

“Some second year girls told him a rumor that he was the only single one on the team so he drew the diagram to see if he could determine who has girlfriends.” Ennoshita threw him under. 

Everyone erupted in laughter, mostly Tsukishima and Yamaguchi.

“You weren't trying to list the couples?” Kageyama asked. 

“No!” Tanaka waved his hands. 

“That's kind of amazing, you got it completely right.” Sugawara noted. 

“Huh?” Tanaka looked down at the diagram. 

“He's right. You wrote all the third years together but you drew a line from my name to Noya’s, leaving Daichi and Suga together. Tsukishima and Yamaguchi, I believe, are somewhere under here.” He pointed to the fervent scribbles. “Narita and Kinoshita are together, and Hinata and Kageyama are together.” 

“Is that why Ennoshita has the heart? I didn't know you guys were together.” Hinata looked up. 

“Heart?” Ennoshita was hanging outside the circle, having already seen the diagram a number of times but didn't remember there being a heart by his name. He stepped into the circle and blushed. There was, in fact, a small heart near the corner of his name. 

“Um…” Tanaka was blushing, but then his face changed suddenly. “Wait, why are none of you surprised about any of this?” 

“We've all heard the rumor, plus we had our own suspicions.” Nishinoya explained. “But I didn't know about you two either. I honestly thought you were both in denial.”

“It's recent.” Ennoshita said. 

Asahi slapped Tanaka’s back. “Congratulations! It took you long enough. You’re obviously good for each other.” 

Daichi started laughing again and everyone looked at him with confusion. 

“What?” Sugawara asked. 

“I was just thinking that hopefully the new first years come in pairs.”

“Among other things.” Nishinoya added. 

Everyone started laughing along with Daichi. No one said so, but it felt nice to have everything out in the open. As friends and as a team, it made them stronger. 

“What's so funny?” Shimizu asked. Everyone blushed as they faced her, not realizing she'd entered. 

“What's this?” They turned back and Yachi was standing in the middle of the circle with the notebook in her hand. 

“Nothing!!!” Several of them shouted as they grabbed the notebook, passing it around one-by-one until Tanaka was finally reunited with his notebook. Ennoshita reached out, ripped the page from the notebook and tore it to shreds. 

Coach Ukai walked into the gym, seething. “Whatever it is, it had better be pretty damn important for none of you to be practicing.” 

Everyone quickly returned to practice, pairing off with their usual partners. The Impatient Couple, relentlessly spiking deviant sets that The Invisible Couple found themselves regularly having to dodge from the other side of the net. The Rude Couple, practicing receives while hurling insults at The New Couple too caught up in a loving conversion about the addition of a heart to the diagram to care. The Seasoned Couple happily exchanging spikes and receives with The Kinky Couple. 

“Is something different?” Ukai asked Shimizu and Yachi. “They all seem delirious or something.” 

“I don't think so, they seem normal to me.” Yachi commented. 

“No… They're different.” Shimizu smiled knowingly. “They're much happier.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm SO glad you guys enjoyed reading this fic as much as I enjoyed writing it! Ennotana for life no? Thanks for all your support! 
> 
> I've heard the various cries of the Tsukiyama OTP-ers, and in case you missed me saying so; the Haikyuu!! fic going up after this one is a LONG Tsukiyama (though you should know, the first several chapters of it have Yamaguchi paired with someone else O.o). That fic exists in the same tangent of reality as this one so you may notice some overlap. First chapter tomorrow perhaps? 
> 
> Thanks again you guys! You sure know how to make an author feel special!

**Author's Note:**

> Let the record show: Tanaka thinks Ennoshita is cute.


End file.
